There and Back Again
by Wolfpack pride
Summary: AU Alec walks into a bar. What if that bar is the Roadhouse? After a chance meeting with Jo, Alec must come to realize that he isn't as alone as he thought. He has a family and it's getting bigger by the minute. Dean/Jo, Max/Alec
1. Meet Jo

**There and Back Again**

**Important note-** This is an AU story and a crossover. It takes place in the Supernatural time line a while after No Exit but before BUABS, season 2. For Dark Angel, (this is where it gets tricky) post Berrisford Agenda. The pulse didn't happen and they are all living in Seattle. The Manticore fire never happened either. Alec escaped with Max (the second time), but the virus is still in play and White was assigned to bring them because Lydecker went AWOL. Everyone else is still in Manticore (not counting her siblings). I know a lot is still unexplained but hopefully the story will take care of that. If you have any questions, send me a review.

I know there are flaws with the timing of it all. Smushing two different worlds together will do that. Moving on-

Disclaimer: I am a fan of both _Supernatural _and _Dark Angel._ Unfortunately, I don't own either of them. All due respect to the lucky people who do

A/N: Title came from a great Daughtry song of the same name. This is a rewrite of my previous story, Just the Two of Us.

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><p>The wind whipped at the X5's handsome face as Alec raced along the empty road. He needed to clear his head for a while.<p>

He was the only one around for miles. He didn't have a destination in mind. Really, anywhere but Seattle would be just fine with him. So long as Logan and Max weren't around, it was good enough for him. He was sick and tired of having to be her pretend boy-toy. She had 'highly encouraged' him to stop flirting with anyone who possibly knew Logan or knew someone that knew Logan or knew someone who knew someone who… and on and on it went. He just needed to get away for a while; he needed to go somewhere where no one would recognize him. That's why he decided to hop on his bike and to keep on going until he found it.

Eventually, he ended up somewhere in central Nebraska at a bar called the Roadhouse.

Alec passed through the wooden doors of the saloon that hopefully led the way to a pool table, some hot girls, plenty of alcohol, and most importantly, no controlling fake girlfriend to stand in his way. He could feel the heavy weight of suspicious eyes evaluating him the second he entered the building. Nearly everyone in the room was sizing him up. Then he saw her. Across the room, the petite, young blond bartender was gazing at him expectantly. He sauntered up to the bar and ordered himself a beer with his signature, charming smirk. She spoke while fetching one from under the counter.

"I didn't know you were going to be in town, Dean." She commented dryly while trying to busy herself with rubbing down the counter.

His enchanting smile fell from his face only to be replaced by one of distrust and confusion. It took a moment to overcome his Manticore instincts and think rationally about something other than which exit would make the best escape route. He took a deep breath to get his head back in the game and his expression back under control.

"I didn't know I was coming here either. This is just where I ended up, sweet heart." He answered casually, hoping to buy some time to gather more information about who she thought he was. Something in the bartender's eyes changed ever so slightly and her voice betrayed her displeasure.

"Well then." She popped the top off the beer and slid it across to him, never breaking eye contact. "Here ya go."

"Thanks." He grabbed it and turned away from the bar and subtly surveyed the other visitors in Harvelle's Roadhouse. Most of the patrons were gruff looking guys with only the occasional lady in the mix. The women that were around were either not worth his efforts or obviously taken. He was confident in his charms but these guys didn't look like the type to let him get off easy and he really wasn't interested in making a scene and blowing his cover over some girl.

He sighed. Luck was not on his side. He started make his way to the pool table and see if he could score some cash at least when he remembered the bartender. He turned slightly to watch her eyes as she did her own visual sweep of the room and its occupants. She was obviously not interested in any of the guys in the room.

He sauntered over to her once more, smile firmly in place. She gave him a small guarded smile in return.

"What did you say your name was, again?" He tried.

Her smile was replaced with a scowl almost quicker than even his transgenic eyes could track.

_Oh crap_.

"What are you trying to pull, Dean?" She growled.

As he was trying to figure out a half descent response, he failed to notice her reaching below the counter again.

Suddenly, he was doused with water and the petite bartender had a small knife pointed at him.

"Woah, woah, woah! Slow down there." He knew that he could break her wrist and send the knife crashing to the floor in the blink of an eye and with minimal noise, but something gave him pause.

"Start talking." She stated in that no-nonsense tone Alec would later learn that she inherited from her mother.

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><p>AN: I would love it if you reviewed (and a big thank you to everyone who reviewed this story the first time around). God Bless.


	2. Meet Bobby

**Ok, so I messed up. I uploaded chapter 6 instead of chapter 2 the other day. My bad! Here's a Big thank you to Esaria for so gently pointing it out to me. **

**Anyways, here is the real chapter 2.**

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><p><em>"Start talking."<em>

Alec opened his mouth to answer her before closing it abruptly.

"You first." He protested indignantly.

She all but rolled her eyes at him and led him to a secluded part of the room. Knife still in hand, she motioned to an out of the way table. Alec reluctantly sat down and waited for her to explain to him what the issue was. His instincts were telling him that she wasn't Manticore, employee or creation, and he learned a while ago that the familiars snake DNA gave them a certain scent, one that the woman in front of him didn't carry.

Without saying a word, she pulled out a small flask and doused him in water. He stood up sputtering.

"What the HELL was that for?"

She slipped a silver knife out from her belt and in one quick motion, made a small incision in his left arm. No reaction, well except for a sharp glare and some clenched fists.

She sighed in something between relief and confusion. If he wasn't a demon or shape shifter, what was he? She sat down in the booth and pulled a hair tie off her wrist and began gathering up her hair, giving Alec a clean view of the back of her neck. No barcode. He reluctantly sat down opposite her.

"Who are you?" he asked petulantly. Everything about this situation was odd. She didn't seem to be a threat (the gash on his arm begged to differ) yet she certainly wasn't a cut and dry civilian. She was a bit like Logan. Alec shook his head to try to clear that unwelcomed thought from his mind. This woman was nothing like the annoying, mothering, computer nerd.

Jo watched in something akin to amusement as this handsome stranger processed all the new information. He really was good looking, but then again, he looked just like Dean so of course he was good looking. This guy was younger than him by a few years but obviously just as street smart and experienced as the older hunter.

"I'm Jo, Jo Harvelle." She extended her hand.

Alec stared at it distrustfully for a moment before returning the gesture. "Alec McDowell."

Jo ducked her head blushing. She glanced back up and Alec smiled kindly at her. He found it easier than he'd anticipated.

"You have a striking resemblance to a friend of mine."

"I get that a lot." He laughed to himself.

She laughed as well. All things considered, conversation was very easy between the two.

"So what brings you to the Roadhouse, Alec?"

"I needed a break. This -" He stopped short when he noticed her pensive expression. A moment ago, she was smiling and laughing.

She realized he stopped speaking and found him staring at her. During their brief conversation, Jo took in the fact that even if he wasn't a shape shifter or demon or any other monster, the resemblance couldn't be purely coincidental.

"Wait here." She stood abruptly without waiting for an answer headed back behind the bar and up the stairs.

A few minutes later, Alec glanced up from his beer to see Jo walking back to him with a bag in hand. Alec quirked one eyebrow. She motioned to him and he followed her out to the parking lot.

She pulled out her phone, took a deep breath and dialed a number.

"Yeah?" a gruff voice answered.

"Hey, it's Jo, you need to see something. I'm headed your way. Oh, and you might want to call Dean." Alec could hear the resistance in her voice at the last bit. Whoever Dean was, Jo wasn't really looking forward to seeing him.

"See you in a bit, then. And Jo, be careful."

"Of course, thanks, Bobby." She hung up after that. "Come on, we need to hit the road. I need to tell my mom we're leaving. Be ready to go in 10."

'Wow. Bossy little thing. Sexy, but bossy.' Alec thought. Sending one last longing look at his bike in the parking lot, he shrugged and decided he didn't really want to go back to Seattle yet anyway.

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><p>The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Jo pulled into Singer's Auto Yard. She and Alec climbed out of the car and up to the well worn porch.<p>

"Bobby! We're here." She called as she knocked on the heavy wood door. A tall man in his mid 50's and a trucker hat opened the door to them and within moments, Alec was splashed in the face with what he now knew was holy water. He turned and spit on the ground and sent a solid glare in Jo's direction. She just shrugged sheepishly.

"Bobby, Bobby, wait!" She rattled off as quickly as she could when she noticed the silver knife in his hand. "It's alright. I did all the tests already. He's human."

"Well…" Alec interjected. Something about these people led him to believe they were trust worthy and perhaps the only people on the planet that wouldn't freak out when he spoke of his Manticore past.

"Well' what?" Bobby asked.

Alec took a deep breath.

"I'm not-" He paused, choosing his words carefully, "I'm not _entirely_ human." Bobby quirked an eyebrow and pulled Jo closer to him.

Alec quickly shared the abridged version of his life at Manticore and showed them his barcode.

He held his breath and waited them to respond after he finished. Jo just sighed and shared a poignant look with Bobby. "I told you you'd want to see this."

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><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who read and an extra special thank you to everyone who takes the time to review. I really do appreciate it so much.<strong>


	3. Meet Sam and Dean

_"I told you you'd want to see this."_

Bobby was still not happy that Jo had so foolishly brought an outsider-no, a threat- along with her without so much as a second thought. After he had done so much campaigning to her mother that she was smart enough and strong enough to hunt by herself without getting herself killed, this is what she does! She brings a monster to his home and tells him not to do anything about it. Who does she think he is? He may be retired but he is by no means stupid, unlike her apparently. At least he never made friends with the subject of a future hunt!

The familiar rumble of the impala pulling into the salvage yard pulled Bobby away from his inner tirade. He went out to greet the boys with Jo and Alec in tow. Just as soon as the Winchester brothers had exited the car, Sam had a flask in his hand and Alec was once again dripping with holy water.

"Why does that keep happening?" He grumbled to Jo with his hair now sticking up at odd angles. He looked up and glared at the boys. Only then did he get a good look at Dean. His eyes widened and his brow furrowed at the sight. Alec felt like he was looking in a mirror. His first thought was that he was standing opposite another Manticore clone but it took only a moment to rule that out. The man standing in front of him was not made in a test tube. His body bore the scars of a rough life. With genetically enhanced cells, scars were virtually impossible to get. His eyes were guarded and had a bit of that haunted look to them but they had a warmth hidden within their depths that most Manticore natives lacked…and loyalty. He didn't look scared for his own life and protecting those around him seemed to be his only objective. Looking at him again, something clicked in Alec's brain. He must be the original.

Saying Dean was shocked would be the understatement of the century. He'd seen shapeshifters with his face before, but with them, their disguises were merely imitations of the real thing and if you knew what to look for, you could see through the cracks. This was different. The man standing opposite him looked just like him but at the same time, completely different. From his hair, his eyes, his stance: all of it. It was uncannily similar but strangely foreign. This guy didn't have quite as much bulk to him and even looked to be a few years younger. He could tell he was gaping but couldn't bring himself to care. His mind was racing and his heart seemed it would beat out of his chest. His adrenalin was working on overdrive with the fight or flight response that he was struggling to ignore. This guy was not in a threatening pose at all. He was leaning against a rundown car's bumper trying to get water out of his hair- not exactly frightening.

Sam, still standing next to him, was also quite perplexed. Jo and Bobby seemed okay with this newcomer so he probably wasn't an immediate threat but looking at this stranger and seeing his big brother definitely put him on edge. He subconsciously moved a little closer to Dean to both give and get support and backup should his threat assessment be wrong. They both tensed.

Alec spoke first, breaking the silent scrutiny, "If I didn't have a clone already, I'd be seriously freaked out right now."

Out of the corner of his eye, Alec observed Dean slowly grab a dagger from somewhere on his person and grip it menacingly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey. Slow down there, big guy." He placated as Dean advanced toward him, knife in hand. "Come on now, what's a little shared DNA between friends, huh?" He once again tried to diffuse the situation. Dean wasn't buying it and pulled back his arm and threw the dagger right at Alec. Alec silently thanked Manticore for his inhuman reflexes but quickly cursed them again realizing that it was his genetic sequencing that had gotten him in this mess in the first place. He blurred out of the way less than a fraction of a second before the knife whizzed past his ear and punctured the tire of a derelict vehicle that was directly behind where the transgenic had been not even a moment ago. The air could be heard hissing out from the captivity of the tire as everyone stared at Alec. He shrugged, his shoulders conveying the message of 'Don't look at me like that. He's the one who threw the knife.'

Dean and Sam were frighteningly still.

"Guys, this is Alec. He's a friend. We're just here to figure out how he looks just like you, Dean, and we thought you should come see for yourselves. Just calm down, and we'll figure this out." Jo said cautiously. She knew full well that when the Winchesters had their sights set on something, nothing could stand in their way, and right now, Alec was Enemy #1. "Relax."

"Well now, hold up there, Jo. We don't know for sure what 'Alec' is. I think it's perfectly reasonable for the boys here to assume he's a threat. We haven't officially ruled that out yet." Bobby reasoned, siding with the brothers.

"Either way, we should still go inside and let Alec defend himself before we automatically assume we should kill him." With that, the petite blond hunter headed off toward the house without bothering to see if the others were following.

"Since when is that the policy?" Dean muttered to himself and Bobby quietly commented, "Man, that girl is going to be just like her mother." but they all followed her in regardless.

Once they were all seated in Bobby's dusty living room, they let Alec have the floor. This time, however, he was tied to chair with multiple guns pointed at him, but at least they let him say his piece. That much he was grateful for. He swallowed and began to recount the painful memories of his childhood, or lack thereof, for the second time that day. The Winchester brothers didn't speak even after Alec had finished. They would occasionally share a glance that obviously meant something to them but no one else in the room could decode it. As far as anyone could tell, Dean was taking this whole 'I was made in a test tube with your DNA mixed with feline DNA and who knows what else and was raised in a secret government facility and broke out a few months ago' thing. Whenever Dean wasn't silently speaking with Sam, Alec could feel his eyes resting on him.

'_That's normal, I guess. I am a little more used to the idea of people looking just like me.'_ he thought, but it was still weird. Eventually, all eyes shifted from Alec to Dean to see his response after Alec was finished speaking.

He had a mask in place that any Manticore veteran would be proud of but after a moment of silence, he rubbed a hand over his face. He let out a small laugh, the first sound he'd made since Alec started show and tell, and clicked the safety back on his pistol.

"And I thought our lives were weird."

A/N: I'm really glad people are reading this story. I was a bit nervous when I started to rewrite this. It was my first real chaptered story but I'm beyond thrilled that I got so many alerts/favorites after I started posting it.

I would really love to hear from you guys. So that little button down there, click it. Tell what you liked, didn't like, predictions about what's going to happen, I'm not all that picky about reviews. God bless.

-Kate


	4. Prep Time

_"And I thought our lives were weird"_

Once they heard about the evils of Manticore, Sam and Dean were resolute to put a stop to it. Granted, they still weren't entirely comfortable with Alec, but they knew that a secret government facility creating superhuman weapons was a problem that needed fixing. Plus, Alec did have Dean's DNA so in a twisted way, that made him family, and Dean does anything to protect his family. Over the course of the day, a determined glint got locked in Dean's eye. One look told you that he wasn't giving up until Manticore was nothing but a bad dream. Alec felt an odd warm feeling seep into his being at the thought of having such an ally in this fight. While Dean might not be a transgenic, he was certainly more capable than any other ordinary Alec had ever met.

Bobby picked up on it too. "Well, boys, Jo, pack up. Looks like we're headin' to Seattle." He bellowed. Everyone paused for a moment in consideration before doing exactly what the senior hunter asked. They all bustled around doing miscellaneous tasks to get ready for the drive and packing up various weapons just in case. They were all more comfortable with a gun in their hands and an arsenal in the trunk. Besides, if it did come down to a fight at Manticore, they'd rather be prepared.

While everyone was preparing, apparently the fact that Alec was still tied to a chair went over-looked. The handsome transgenic sat quietly and worked at the ropes. No more than two minutes after he started, the ropes hung loosely around his waist. He rubbed his wrists and caught Dean staring at him with confusion marring his features.

"What?" Alec asked in the most innocent tone he could manage. Dean bit his lip and tilted his head a bit, clearly trying to figure something out.

He spoke slowly, "If you could have broken out of the ropes anytime, why'd you wait till now? Why'd you let us tie you up in the first place for that matter?"

Alec smiled. "I figured resisting would be a good way to get shot." He stated simply. "I've gotten shot plenty of times before and it's usually something I try to avoid."

"Huh, okay." Still in his slightly confused daze, Dean sighed dismissively and walked off to go help Bobby.

Dean and Alec walked into the library where Sam and Bobby were still packing up some supplies. The room was filled to the brim with the ancient texts and spell books covered in dust. The fire place on the back wall housed a slowly dying flame that shed a soft, flickering light into the dimly lit space.

"Bobby, did you get a hold of that contact of your up in Seattle yet?" Sam inquired curiously without bothering to look up from the book he had his nose buried in to acknowledge the other's entrance.

"Yeah, he confirmed that Manticore is located right outside the city. They had an old location up in Wyoming but it was shut down years ago. We can meet up with him when we get to Seattle. He wants to 'debrief us on some tactical details'." Bobby said while occupying himself with finding a certain book from somewhere in the piles and piles of books he had stacked up on every available flat surface in the room. "It seemed like this Manticore deal is kind of a pet project of his. Logan seemed pretty passionate about the whole thing."

"Wait, Logan? As in Logan Cale, Logan? Alec asked cautiously.

"That's the one." Bobby confirmed, flipping through a book as he answered.

"Why? You know him?" Sam piped up.

"You could say that." The transgenic voiced in a tone that suggested there was much more to the story.

The others in the room ignored the insinuation.

"Well, anyway, he also said that the familiars you boys have been trying to track down for God knows how long, their hideout is in Seattle too."

Sam and Dean both immediately looked at the older hunter to make sure he was serious. Dean got a smug smile on his face.

"you know me, I'm always up for a two for one deal." He said in a cocky tone.

Alec's eyes widened at the mention of the familiars and his heart beat just a little bit faster. Maybe with these guys, they could wipe them out too.

"You're after the familiars too?" He asked in disbelief. "It's a miracle we didn't cross paths sooner!" He huffed and made his way to see Jo out back.

Alec wandered out around the house and found the pretty blond hunter loading up her truck and double checking all the weaponry.

"So, what's going on between you and Dean?"

She looked up, surprised, "What do you mean?"

"Well, while I wasn't completely focused on the gun pointed at my chest, I noticed that you two barely made eye contact since they got here, and considering there is only five of us here, that's impressive -and takes effort. What's the deal?" Alec never learned the fine art of beating around the bush in 'Common Verbal Usage.'

She paused, blinked a few times, then once again busied herself with cleaning a sawed off shotgun. "Nothing's going on." She said, trying to sound like he hadn't just hit close to home.

"Well that clears things up. I'm going to go out on a limb here, since I have nothing better to do, and guess that you have a thing for him, and I mean, who could blame you. He really is ruggedly handsome." Alec continued with a wink, "But you think he doesn't think of you that way. Newsflash, you weren't the only one avoiding eye contact." Alec left the salvage yard with an confident swing in every step before she could reply. He meandered in and out and around the multitude of rusted out and beat up cars that littered the yard before finally meeting up with Sam, Dean, and Bobby as they exited the house without so much as a glance back in her direction.

"Alright, Sam, Dean, and Alec, you guys take the Impala. Jo, you take you're truck and I'll follow ya'll." Bobby instructed. He then climbed into one of his many vehicles and everyone else dispersed and got to their assigned car.

After ten minutes filled with nothing but awkward silences and the muffled sound of Dean's outdated rock music playing softly from the tape deck, Alec reached forward from his seat in the back and turned up the volume. Dean smiled, "I think you and I are gonna get along just fine." Alec laughed and they both started singing along with the song.

"Oh God, now there's two of them." Sam moaned and rested his head in his hands.

Conversation was easy between Alec and Dean. Apparently having the same DNA also meant having many of the same likes and dislikes. They also definitely had the same sense of humor.

"So you guys hunt the supernatural?" Alec asked. Jo and Bobby had filled him in on the basics of what hunters were but still, 'curiosity killed the cat,' as the saying goes and Alec did have some feline DNA. Sam glanced over at him with an eyebrow raised. It still seemed odd to him to have someone ask such a question so casually. It was even stranger to have it come from someone who looked just like Dean.

"Yep, Demons, ghosts, spirits, things that go bump in the night, all of it." Dean rattled off with practiced ease from the front seat.

Alec tried to keep a straight face and nod thoughtfully before giving up and laughing. "You totally planned that speech, didn't you?"

Dean sent him a light hearted glare but brushed off the jab. "So, you were a government experiment?"

"Yeah. Just a bunch of little test tube babies." Alec responded a little too quickly.

Dean jumped on it. "And like you haven't used that line before."

"Touché."

The drive was continued to be surprisingly comfortable. Dean was at ease around Alec and vice versa, even having just met, they seemed like old friends. Sam was just happy that the tension had dissolved early on in the very long drive.

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><p><strong>AN: Have I mentioned I love reviews? God bless.**

**-Kate**


	5. Meet Ellen and Ash

_I think you and I are going to get along just fine._

A few hours later, they pulled into a familiar dirt parking lot. They were going to go to Seattle. They just had to make a small detour through Nebraska, more specifically, the Roadhouse. They wanted to run the intell they had gathered by Ellen and Ash. Before taking on villains this big and this well connected, it was best to have as much information as possible.

'The roadhouse: home sweet home' Jo thought as she pulled up. Bobby and the boys came up just a minute after. She led the way to through the door. It was 2 in the afternoon so the only people in the building aside from the five currently entering it would be Ellen and Ash, Jo's mother and her trusty red-neck computer genius.

"Hey, Mom! We're back!" She called out. The young hunter then walked casually over to the pool table and shoved the being that was lying unconscious on top of back and forth until it let out a mumbled string of curses and reluctantly awoke.

"Hey, Ash. Miss me?" She asked cheerfully when she saw her friend's eyes flutter open. He was clothed in a dirty stripped button up with the sleeves ripped off and not a button left on it. His hair was in his usual style, a mullet, and he reeked of day old beer. Good old Ash. She was about to introduce him to Alec when sleep claimed him once again. She patted his shoulder fondly before moving on. Just as Bobby, Sam, Dean, and Alec sat down on some barstools, Ellen bustled in from upstairs.

"Jo, baby?" She asked breathlessly. She locked eyes with her daughter, smiled, and captured her baby girl in a hug. Jo had only been away three days but in Ellen's book, that was far too long.

"Bobby, it's good to see you too." The older hunter was also subject to a hug. Then her eyes found Sam and 'Dean'. They were hesitant to approach her, hardly surprising considering the way their last meeting had ended. She moved slowly towards them and pulled them both in, that was as close to an apology either party was gonna get. The sweet moment was broken by someone clearing their throat.

"Umm, Ellen. I'm over here. " Dean said in a small voice and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Ellen pulled away and stared at the man she'd just hugged. Then she looked over at Dean and back to the man in front of her.

"Boys, start talkin'." Her tone didn't quite sound angry or annoyed, more concerned. She considered every person in that room (excluding Alec) family and she was in protection (Mama Bear mode as Jo had come to call it)mode.

"Well, you see Ellen. Alec here is a genetic experiment that somehow used my DNA as a baseline. He's a friend." Dean explained with a smile. He had to admit, seeing people react to hearing that Alec was a government issued look-alike was pretty funny, especially when you give it to them cold. He watched as Ellen's face went from suspicious to concerned to confused as the information set in and finally to acceptance that he wasn't there to harm her or the ones she loved. They all sat down and gave her and the newly re-awakened Ash the details on Alec.

"You know as much as we do now." Bobby said after they finished giving the important details of Manticore.

"Did any of you ever wonder how this program got your DNA in the first place?" Ellen inquired. The others shot bewildered glances around at one another. Ellen sighed and resisted the urge to let her head fall into her hands. "I'll take that as a no. How about any ideas then?"

"Alec, you said that one of the familiars went rouge and that's how Manticore got it's start, right?" Sam paused and waited for Alec to confirm before continuing. "Well, we've been hunting them down for as long as I can remember. It also seems like they're so well hidden that no other hunter we've ever met has ever even heard of them. It begs the question, how did Dad find them? My guess is that they somehow got Dean and took some of his DNA before Dad could rescue him and that's how he caught their trail." Everyone nodded thoughtfully at this new theory except Dean who scoffed.

"I don't exactly remember getting kidnapped, Sam." He huffed.

"You may not have even known. These guys don't exactly look like our normal monsters. It could have been anyone at any point. I think they took you, took your DNA, Dad rescued you, and started tracking down the rest of the familiars, thinking that this guy was one of them instead of Manticore."

"So a little nick from you as a child and twenty some years later we get him?" Ash questioned, motioning to Alec while nursing his ever present beer.

It was Bobby's turn to pipe up. "I think Sam here might be on to something. I seem to remember John showing up one day asking for help tracking some sucker down. He seemed pretty wound up about it and I know Sam was there but I don't think you were, Dean. Yeah, I remember because t was the first time I had ever seen Sam here running around without his big brother. I didn't think much of it at the time but I that was the first time we stumbled upon the familiars."

"One mystery solved...mostly. Now we just need to figure out how to take down these SOB's once and for all. I suggest we stay here for the night and hit the road to Seattle in the morning." Jo glanced around the table at the slow nods of acceptance of the plan from all except her mother who was giving her the glare Jo as a child referred to as the "it's too dangerous. I'm not letting you out of my sight" look. "Mom, I'm going on this hunt. I'm the one who found Alec, I'm a part of this. I'm going to see this through and you're not going to get in my way."

"Now Jo baby, Bobby and the boys are more than capable of handling this one on their own. Plus, from what I understand, Alec is a very useful ally to have on our side. They can take care of this." Ellen reasoned in her "I'm right. I'm just waiting for you to realize it" tone.

"I'm going. I'm not a little girl anymore. I can do this. I'm going to do this." With that, Jo stood up and hiked up the stairs to pack without another word or glance to anyone at the bar.

"Aww, she's just like you, Ellen." Bobby said with a small laugh.

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><p>Ellen spent the evening packing provisions. Dean's M&amp;M stash could only get you so far. As she was making the sandwiches, she had accepted her daughter's decision. She was even a little proud of her for standing up for herself and working hard to help a friend. Ellen was also surprised at how quickly Alec had become a friend in her own eyes as well. The charismatic transgenic had wormed his way into her heart, just like his DNA donor had before him. Ellen glanced out from the kitchen and saw Dean playing a game of pool with Jo. They were smiling and laughing as Jo took her shot. Ellen could see the spark between them even if they couldn't. It was in the stolen glances when each thought the other wasn't looking, the mild awkwardness after seeing each other for the first time after so long, the sparkle in Jo's eye when Dean entered the room, and the way Dean's smirk melted into a genuine smile when he was with her, all leading back to that electrically charged tension that filled the air whenever they were near one another: it was plain to see that there was something there.<p>

Dean sunk the ball after it ricocheted off the side and into the corner pocket. He stood up and smiled and looked for his next shot. It was nice hanging out with Jo. Something about it just felt right. He had intentionally avoided the Roadhouse and more specifically, Jo for the past few months and hadn't seen her since they found out about his father's role in her dad's death. He could admit, if only to himself, that he had missed seeing the spunky blond from time to time. Apparently since he'd last seen her, she had thrown herself into hunting with guns blazing. He respected her for that. She went for it and from what he'd heard, succeeded at it. With Jo, he could just relax and enjoy her company and not worry about anything else. He knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

While Dean and Jo amused themselves, Alec walked over to Ash who again had a beer in hand.

"Hey, man." He said in greeting.

Ash simply nodded to him in response. "You want one?" He asked raising his bottle.

"Nah, doesn't do much for me anyway." Alec mentioned casually while checking out the scene unfolding over by the pool table between the two hunters. Now, there was no doubt in his mind about Dean and Jo. He would bet money they'd be together within two months. Ash's slightly slurred voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"What d' ya mean 'doesn't do much for ya?'"

He shrugged. "Downside and upside, but mostly downside, to being a transgenic. It is nearly impossible to get drunk."

Ash laughed. "Well, man, nearly impossible ain't the same as downright impossible." The computer genius said in his distinctive accent and moved behind the counter and started pouring. "Here. Drink up." He said a minute later, he handed Alec a glass of something tall, dark, and no doubt incredibly alcoholic. "Cheers, man."

Two hours later, Ash was practically passed out on the bar while Alec was feeling a pretty decent buzz and downed the last of the final drink Ash concocted for him before he had fallen asleep on the counter.

Bobby and Ellen had turned in about a half hour back and Dean and Jo were having one last 'winner takes all' game. Sam had been talking to Bobby and Ellen before they left, but after that, entertained himself with watching Alec and Ash go at it, and finally settled on observing Dean and Jo. Every few minutes as he watched, he would laugh to himself at their antics. He didn't know what they were playing for, but he knew Dean was winning. Sometime past midnight, Sam decided to go ahead and catch some sleep. Within twenty minutes after his departure, the others followed suit and the bar was quiet.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you so much to all the wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter. Just because I love you guys, I'll send a short little "Missing Moment" to anyone who reviews this chapter. Thanks again, guys. God Bless.**

**-Kate**


	6. Meet Max

**Ok, now I know that I just have to bribe you guys for reviews. Good to know. Haha. Thank you all so much for all the reviews and alerts and favorites. :) **

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><p>"Cheers, man."<p>

Jo silently entered Dean's room early that morning and woke him up at 7:00 am sharp. "It's quite a drive to Seattle. We need to get an early start." That's what she said, but Dean wasn't buying it. He saw that smug smirk on her face when she poured a glass of ice cold water on his sleeping form. Sadistic, that's what it was. That or she just wanted to see him soaking wet. Either option was likely in the foggy mind of a half-asleep Dean. She didn't wake up Sam that way; that was for sure.

He tried to shake some of the water from his hair. He would get his revenge, he vowed. Just as that thought was crossing his mind, he remembered she mentioned breakfast. Revenge could wait. Besides, she still owed him a favor from their pool tournament last night.

Shortly thereafter, he sauntered down the stairs in a pair of well worn jeans and a black tee shirt just as Jo was taking her seat. On the table sat pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, with orange juice, milk, and coffee.

"Dean, there you are." Ellen called in greeting, "Come. Sit. Eat."

"Yeah, Dean. This food is amazing!" Alec agreed enthusiastically between shoveling fork-fulls of egg into his mouth. Dean, never one to turn down a meal from Ellen, readily sat down in the closest out of the two empty chairs. It just happened to also be the one next to Jo. From her close proximity, she could clearly see that he still had some residual water droplets sprinkled throughout his hair and that it was still somewhat wet from her visit earlier that morning and couldn't fight the smile that broke out. Her sun kissed hair fell like a curtain in front of her face as she playfully ducked her head when Dean shot a light hearted glare in her direction. Alec had been down the hall while Dean's unexpected shower had been taking place, but thanks to transgenic hearing, he had a pretty good idea of why Jo was smiling.

With everyone talking and laughing all throughout the meal, the seven of them almost forgot about the mission ahead of them for a while and simply enjoyed each other's company. Ellen was the first to break the spell. She looked reluctant to send her baby away again but she knew that it was necessary, no matter how painful.

She rose from her seat and cleared her throat. "If you guys want to make it to Washington by nightfall, you had better get going." She advised with a fake smile. The group stood up and grabbed their bags with sad smiles as well. They weren't getting off without a proper goodbye, however.

"Now, Bobby, you take care of my little girl, same goes for you boys. I don't want to have to deal with any of you getting' yourselves hurt. Alec, good luck. Make those SOB's pay for what they're doing." Ellen leveled a concerned glare at them all until they promised to be careful. They quickly finished saying their own good bye's and the five hit the road.

Out in the parking lot, Jo grabbed her bag of weaponry and said farewell to her beloved truck. She instead rode with Bobby in his with Alec's bike riding proudly in the bed. Sam, Dean, and Alec took the Impala for the trip. Before the left, they put a walkie talkie in each vehicle so they could communicate easily through the trip. They spent a good portion of time brainstorming ideas for how to take down Manticore and discussed the best way to eliminate the familiars in the process, but mostly, the radios were used to facilitate Dean and Jo flirting from a distance. Sam had fallen asleep after the planning faze was complete and around the time they crossed into Idaho, Bobby declared a radio silence, apparently fed up with having to listen to Jo and Dean never shut up. At which point, Alec decided he might as well bring up the subject of the lively young blonde in the other car since she was obviously the only thing on his counter-part's mind, if the scowl he'd been wearing ever since Bobby's last transmission was anything to go by.

"So you're into Jo?" The handsome transgenic asked while pretending to be preoccupied with eating one of the many sandwiches Ellen had packed for them.

The question pierced through the fog covering the Winchester's mind and caught him a bit off guard, not that he let it show. He threw his clone a skeptical glance.

"Nah, she's not really my type." He lied with ease. He was a professional after all.

Alec stifled a laugh, trying to pretend he didn't just see his twin slip into his own little version of the 'Manticore Mask.' "Dude, I'm a new and improved version of you. You think I don't know when you're lying? Come on." He said smoothly and leaned forward from his spot in the back seat. Dean looked over at him with an expression of surprise and confusion.

"And I thought transgenics were emotionally dense." He muttered to himself and rolled his eyes. "She's obviously into you, bud. Even if it wasn't evident before, it should be now after you've spent over an hour flirting with her."

"We're playing; we don't mean anything by it."

Alec scoffed but conceded. "Whatever you say, man." He knew when to cut his losses. He wasn't going to be able to get anything through Dean's thick skull in one car ride. He reached forward, turned up the radio, and dropped the subject in favor of continuing his lunch. At least he had planted the seed.

By the time the sun had set and night had fallen, the concept of Jo and him being together had been festering in Dean's mind for over six hours. As much as he hated to admit it, he was slowly but surely falling in love with her. Somewhere between the smart ass remarks and the playful banter, he had found a strong, beautiful, independent woman who could understand his life. 'Maybe we could finally have our right place, right time.' He thought. He figured the feelings he'd been harboring for her since they met would fade over time and distance, especially after Ellen told them about her father's last hunt, but after seeing her again, he realized beyond a shadow of a doubt, they had not. He knew that originally, he just wanted to get in her pants and then for a short while, he thought she was doomed to be more of a little sister to him than anything else, but now he knew that she was anything but a sister to him.

"We there yet?" Sam's words were slurred by the remnants of sleep. They also effectively yanked Dean out of his reverie about young Miss Harvelle and brought him back to the present. They had finally made it to Seattle. Even with Dean driving, it had taken them all day and well into the evening. Alec had earlier offered his apartment as a base camp for the visitors and they were in no position to refuse. Within half an hour, the team hauled their duffle bags up to his place and were setting up on his floor with pillows and blankets.

At one end of the room, Sam and Dean set up their sleeping bags. It came as a surprise to no one that they would sleep side by side. They always had. From a very young age, it was instilled in them to sleep comfortably only when around the other. It was useful when they were growing up because they felt safe and were protected and then John could relax knowing that Dean was right there to take care of Sammy. It had taken weeks at Stanford before Sam could get anything more than intermittent, fitful bouts of sleep while being so far away from Dean.

On the other end, slept Bobby and sandwiched in between lay Jo. Alec had given the thickest blankets to Jo to allow her to sleep as well as possible in the chilly Seattle air. Even so, Dean, Sam, and Bobby had graciously offered their own blankets to her. She thanked them but refused and rolled her eyes and scoffed when Dean offered to keep her warm in a significantly different way, waggling his eyebrows. They turned off the lights a few minutes later, once everyone was situated for a deep and well earned sleep.

For them, morning came much too early and once again, Jo was the first one up. When she first opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself surrounded by Bobby and the Winchesters instead of alone in her bed but her mind was quick to fill in the pieces. She carefully detangled herself from the mass of sleeping bags and sleeping hunters, tip toeing around Dean to get to the kitchen, to make some breakfast. Unfortunately, Alec's pantry was anything but well stocked so all she could muster were some toast and eggs. Fifteen minutes in, Alec woke up with his hair mused from sleep to help cook. The stringent schedule of Manticore was too deep seated for him to ever sleep past 6:30 anyway.

A comfortable silence filled the air as the two moved seamlessly around the small area. Neither one wanted to deal with the irritableness that would inevitably come from waking Bobby or Dean up at this time of day. It was, after all, shortly after 6:00 am. Sam, on the other hand, was already beginning to stir. Jo put some coffee on and soon after, he was up and eating. When 7:10 rolled around, the hibernators, as Alec mentally deemed them, woke up as well.

Alec was surprised at how comfortable he was with these people after such a short time. He could admit that he was perpetually slow to open up and accept outsiders but these ordinaries were already dear friends in his mind.

"When are we going over to see your contact, Bobby?" Dean asked while taking a bite of toast.

"I told Logan we'd meet him in about an hour." He gruffly replied.

Alec cleared his throat. "I should probably tell you guys beforehand; Logan isn't exactly my biggest fan."

"What exactly does 'not you biggest fan' entail?" Jo piped up.

"Well the guy basically hates my guts." His statement got many curious stares from the others in the group.

"Well that's too bad, princess; 'cause we're gonna need you there to help with the battle plans." Bobby said with finality.

"Fine. I'd better call Max then. She's not going to want to miss this."

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><p><strong>AN: Again, thank you guys so much. I would really love to hear what you think of it so far. Favorite lines, predictions, suggestions: they all make for excellent reviews. God bless. Oh, and there may be a short little deleted scene for those who review. *wink***


	7. Meet Logan

**In my little world, Bobby knows Logan as Logan and Eye's only, Logan doesn't know about the supernatural, and he and Bobby don't know each other incredibly well but Bobby did recruit him as a contact (and Vice Versa) considering he knew about the familiars and had a lot of resources.**

**Oh and he still has his fun hair from season one!**

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far. I appreciate it so much and I love hearing from you guys.**

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><p><em>"Well, the guy basically hates my guts."<em>

20 minutes after Alec hung up with Max, her ninja could be heard pulling up to Alec's apartment. On the phone, she had, as expected, chewed him out for forcing her to cover for him with Normal at Jam Pony after he just bailed town and for ditching them all at Crash. She sounded livid, but in reality, she was just worried. He just stood up from their table at Crash and fell off the face of the earth for four days. What girl wouldn't worry? Her head said that it was only because he was a transgenic and she wanted to make sure he stayed out of trouble and kept his head down. Her heart, however, had other ideas about why she had been so upset when he left but she kept those thoughts locked down deep inside. Then after days and days of complete radio silence, he calls her and tells her to get over to his apartment ASAP. She scoffed at him and yelled to her heart's content but deep inside, her heart skipped a beat just from hearing his voice again and knowing that he was home safe- well, home at least. Without a second's hesitation, she grabbed her ninja and rushed over to his apartment in record time.

With the wind in her face, her mind wandered back to him, or more accurately, had never left him. Her heart was in her throat and for the life of her, she couldn't piece together a logical reason for him to need her to come over so urgently. The only reasons she could come up with didn't make her feel any better but she couldn't seem to shut them up as she drove. Is he hurt? Is he leaving and wanted to tell me in person? What if he has some girl with him? What if? What if? What if?

After what seemed like hours, she arrived at the decrepit apartment and raced up the stairs two at a time and stopped only when she reached his door.

Alec heard Max's rapid knocking on the door to his apartment and hurried over to let her in. His heart rate increased when he pulled back the heavy wooden door and saw her standing in the hall. He told himself it was only because he was a bit nervous about her meeting Dean and the others but deep down, his heart knew otherwise. She was flushed and windswept from the drive over. Her breath was coming in a slightly ragged rhythm despite the fact that she could run for miles without having to stop to catch it. She was in her customary biker boots and tight jeans with a red top that fit in a way that made Alec unable to look away and she was just staring at him. He could feel her visually examining him from the doorway and couldn't help but notice the way she relaxed when she was certain he was uninjured.

Her eyes went wide again when she finally realized that he was not the only one in his apartment. Her seemingly endless supply of adrenaline started pumping again. Instinctively, she did a quick threat assessment of the visitors and decided that they were probably not immediate threats. Alec was obviously aware that they were present and by now, she trusted him and his judgment enough to know that he wouldn't bring someone who wanted to hurt them back to his apartment and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn't lead her into a trap. She sent a nervous glance at Alec before looking at the guests more thoroughly, this time actually looking at them rather than simply checking for weaponry and physical prowess (there was plenty of the latter and it wouldn't surprise her if there was quite a bit of the former hidden, but Alec seemed comfortable with them). Her brown eyes moved from one to the next before freezing on a man in his late 20's sitting on the arm of the couch. She stopped dead in her tracks and it took every ounce of self control her genetically enhanced body possessed to keep from bolting out at the sight. It decided to do its best impression of a deer in the head lights instead. It was Ben, or Alec depending on how you looked at it, resting there. Max felt like she couldn't move. In front of her, reclining against Alec's tattered couch with his arms and ankles crossed casually, was her dead brother or at the very least, another clone of him. Alec silently moved behind her and snaked an arm around her waist to keep her upright when her knees threatened to give out. When he finally spoke, it was in that deep husky tone that made her subconsciously relax in his grip.

"Max," he said slowly as though trying not to spook her, "This is Dean. He's not a threat and he's definitely not Manticore."

She leaned backwards to where her back was pressed against Alec's chest as she looked up at him. She then slowly shifted her gaze over to 'Dean.' It was true that he didn't look like Manticore, but it was still unnerving to see Ben's face again after so long. She had gotten used to Alec after seeing him day after day and over time had noticed subtle differences between Alec and Ben's physical differences and immediately noticed the not so subtle personality discrepancies. Now she identified Alec's face solely with Alec, not Ben. Dean, however, was a whole different animal. She took one look at him and she was back in that retched forest with Ben. Intellectually, she knew it wasn't him but her mind hadn't had enough time to catalog the differences between the two.

The hunters watched with interest and concern as Max entered the apartment and immediately proceeded to internally freak out. She was attractive; Dean had to give her that. Plus, from the way she relaxed in Alec's grip, it looked like she had good taste too. Dean tried his best to remove any skepticism and coldness from his eyes and smiled sweetly at the traumatized woman. He moved to stand and introduce himself properly but before he could, Alec subtly waved him down. He didn't want to mess with a nervous transgenic if he could avoid it so he sat back down without comment. After another moment or two, Max's pulse had dropped back down to an almost normal level (for a transgenic anyway) and Alec calmly led her over to the couch to make the introductions.

"Max," He said smoothly, "This beautiful girl here is Jo." The woman in question blushed faintly and Alec winked. Max couldn't help but smile at his antics. _'That's my Alec.'_

He then dramatically coughed into his fist. "The *cough* older gentlemen *cough* seated next to Jo is Bobby." Bobby sent him a sly glare and tried to disguise his own smile. The entire group had bonded with Alec over the past few days. "The freakishly tall guy next to him is Sam, and of course, the handsome one on the end is his brother, Dean." In typical Alec form, he had removed any semblance of tension from the room and they all shook hands. Max's spirits had been lifted and though she was much calmer now, she couldn't suppress the small tremor that coursed through her small hand when she shook Dean's and subconsciously took a small step toward Alec.

They all sat down once more as Alec gave Max a quick recap of his week, from him riding up to the Roadhouse to the car ride back with the Winchesters and everything in between. Then he gave the others the floor to explain the supernatural and the role that hunters play. She took it well all things considered. Growing up in a government run facility as a genetically engineered super soldier had a tendency to make you a bit more open minded to finding out there were supernatural things in the world and handled it better than most apparently. Max threw a look over at Alec every few minutes or so as she took it all in. Her usual arrogant safety walls were beginning to rise again after her minor break down but though she'd never admit it, she wanted to make sure Alec was still there in case she needed him. He was, as always.

"I hate to disrupt this sweet little family moment but we did come here for a reason. We need to see Logan." Bobby reasoned.

Max's eyes got wide at the mention of her "Ex-"not-like-that boyfriend. His involvement was one thing Alec did conveniently forget to mention when he gave Max the low down. She was taken completely off guard.

"Excuse me? Logan? What the hell does he have to do with any of this?" She spit out in a nervous rush. The hunters in the room wisely decided to stay out of this one and glared at Alec until he arrogantly slung an arm over Max's shoulders and leaned down to explain.  
>"Well, you see here Maxie," He ignored her struggles and indignant 'Don't call me that', and continued. "Logie-bear is a contact of Bobby. He's going to give him some information on Manticore. If we ask him nicely, maybe he can even hook us up with a copy of the blue prints he has of the place."<p>

Max's walls crumbled under the weight of this revelation. She had asked Logan after she escaped from Manticore if he had any plans or anything that they could use to take it down and he had looked her straight in the eye and said that he didn't have anything like that. He even promised that if he did ever find anything, she'd be the first to hear. If she'd known, she could have planned a strike against that hell hole already.

She swallowed hard.

"Come on, people. Let's get moving. I told Logan we'd meet him in an hour." Bobby reiterated.

Both Max and Alec stared at the floor. They knew that they would have to orchestrate the meeting between Logan, Dean, and the rest of them. Bobby already made it clear that he was taking a back seat on this one. His contact, yes, his problem, no. The two transgenic idjits were going to have to buck up and deal with the drama. The two in question had been avoiding Logan as much as possible and this threw them right back in his face. Now to mention the fact that Alec's very presence practically repulsed the cyber journalist and for all intents and purposes, now they had two Alec's. This was not going to be a fun encounter

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><p><em>Knock Knock Knock<em>

"It's open!" Logan's smooth voice called from the other side of the door. The transgenic/hunter team of six entered the computer genius's high end apartment with Max leading the way. She somberly took them passed the kitchen (much to Alec and Dean's dismay) and to his computer center. Logan glanced up from whatever superhero project he was working on the see Max and smile at her. His smile dropped into an unfriendly scowl as Alec came into view. The rest of their group filed in behind them and Alec, being his smart alec self, laughed at the utter disbelief dripping off Logan's face. He had obviously noticed Dean.

Dean, who was leaning casually against the entry way, let his gaze sweep over Logan. Alec had filled him in on just why Logan despised the young killing machine shortly after breakfast and Dean honestly found the whole thing rather amusing.

"Hey there, Wolverine. I thought Professor X was the one with the wheels." Dean said with a cocky smirk. Apparently the sense of humor was genetic.

If Logan hadn't been shocked out of his mind at the moment, he may have been insulted by the quick witted remark, but just seeing another Alec was making his brain process things a touch slower than usual. Of course he'd heard about Manticore and their cloning project and the twins and all that but hearing about it and seeing it with your own eyes were two very different things. His gaze flit from one to the other and back again, then over to Max. She nodded in some sort of silent conformation that yes, he was really seeing this.

Logan instinctively disliked the figure before him from the moment he laid eyes on him. He was obviously another clone or something of Alec and if the jab was anything to go by, they must be quite similar. Logan fought the urge to roll his eyes at the cruelty. He could barely keep his sanity with one Alec in the world. Dealing with two was practically unheard of for the computer genius. Every fiber of his being longed for a confrontation with them. Maybe then he could prove that Max and Alec weren't really together. Then common sense kicked it and ever so gently reminded him that he couldn't survive a fight against one transgenic, let alone two. Besides, if he was wrong and Max and Alec really were together, and shot of getting back together with her would be blown if he acted out. He hated these kinds of moments. Alec's voice shattered Logan's depressing thought process and made him seriously reconsider his decision about not trying to choke him.

"Logan, meet Dean. Striking resemblance, I know. He and his friends are helping us figure some things out." Alec informed him with a smirk in place while moving over to stand next to Dean. "This is his brother, Sam. Next to him is Jo, and you apparently already know Bobby here." He swept his hand to Bobby, motioning for him to take point. Bobby sent the handsome X5 a glare that undoubtedly said, 'like Hell am I leading this shit storm. Your drama, your lead.' But he spoke anyway.

"You said you had some logistical information that could help us out." He reminded.

Logan was once again brought back to the present. He nodded and spun around to his desk. He lifted some piles here, turned and loved over there, completely oblivious to the daggers Max was glaring. He finally turned back around with a folder in hand.

Without thinking, "Here you go. That's everything I have on the Manticore facility. Electricity usage, infrared scans, roads leading to and away from it, blue prints, everything. I'm sure Max and Alec can help you out with the rest." Logan spit Alec's name out with barely concealed disgust. Only then did he turn to see the pain in Max's eyes and realized what he'd just done. He'd lied to her about having the blue prints and infrared scans. It was for her own good, he told himself time and time again. If she'd had that information, she would have staged an attack immediately before she was ready. However good his reasons were, he couldn't get rid of the sting of guilt. Max reluctantly moved over to Bobby and grabbed the folder. She just stared at it for a moment, unable to believe that Logan had lied to her about something like that. Alec saw an opportunity and stepped behind Max and wrapped an arm around her waist. She tensed momentarily but didn't pull away. Logan was already suspicious of their 'relationship' and she had to admit, it felt kind of nice to have Alec holding her. She waited a bit and then moved to thank Logan for the information. She pretended not to see the hurt on his face from Alec's proximity and her cold departure. She never wanted to hurt him but it was necessary to keep him safe. Not only that, even without the virus, they had issues, such as him lying to her about Manticore. Things were better this way. She had to believe that and pray that one day, he would believe it too.

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><p><strong>Sorry, no extra scenes this time (blame my exams). Please review anyway. God Bless you and all the veterans. Thank you so much for your service. <strong>


	8. The Mission

**Hey guys, sorry I'm late! Life has been crazy lately. There was a major fire nearby and lots of projects and essays due this week along with one awesome Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you all had fun too. Please leave me a review to let me know what you think. I hope you like it.**

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><p>Max spent the night at Alec's apartment. They figured, hey, he already had four people staying over. What was one more? Alec graciously surrendered his bedroom so Max and Jo shared that while Bobby, Sam, Dean, and Alec crashed out in the living room.<p>

The apartment was quiet as everyone started to settle down for the night.

"Alec?" Dean whispered in the darkness.

"Yeah?" came an equally quiet response.

"What was up with Max when she first met us-met me?" Dean had been struggling to work out a reasonable answer to that question all day and nothing seemed to fit.

Alec swallowed hard. He should have known that Dean was too smart not to notice how oddly intense Max's reaction was. He scratched the back of his neck and tried to come up with the words. "Um, Max had a brother. He looked just like us. His name was Ben, and uh, he… he lost it. He couldn't handle life outside or something and started-" he nervously cleared his throat and hoped that Max's shark DNA had taken a vacation day and she wasn't awake and eavesdropping, "He started killing people. He'd hunt them down, pull their teeth out, and tattoo his barcode on them." He paused and Dean could tell this was hard on him.

"He died and Maxie took it hard." Alec just couldn't bring himself to share Max's secret.

Dean didn't know how to respond to that. He just nodded slowly, almost reverently, and rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling until sleep claimed the weary hunter a few minutes later.

Alec awoke the next morning to find that Dean had kicked all of his blankets down around his ankles in his sleep and Sam had shifted into a sideways position. Bobby, Alec noted, looked just the same as had the night before. All the hunters were still resting peacefully but Alec knew that even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to slip back into unconsciousness. Luckily for him, he wasn't alone in his predicament. Max was already up so the two transgenics began working battle strategies. By the time the others came to, they had worked out a pretty decent plan. Somewhere amidst Renfro's taunting threats of doom and destruction, she had inadvertently given them the key to be rid of the horror that was Manticore. With Max and Alec's combined knowledge of the lay out and security features in addition to Logan's plans, the group had a pretty good amount of information at their disposal. They divvied up assignments and made to strike at dusk.

After a quick breakfast, Alec led the Winchesters out to the alley behind his building.

"Okay guys. There are some things you need to learn to fight a transgenic effectively. First of all, we're faster."

Dean scoffed.

"We're stronger."

Eye roll

"And over all, just better than you guys."

Alec saw a flash of motion dart across his vision but couldn't react before he was tackled to the ground by an arrogant hunter. He coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. The handsome transgenic was lying on his back on the pavement with Dean smirking down at him with an outstretched hand. He accepted the offer not because he needed the assistance but to assure Dean that there were no hard feelings. He laughed a little bit as he brushed himself off. These guys were good and had a knack for surprising him.

"'better than you guys' my ass." Dean mocked. "Winchester rule number 1, never get caught off guard."

"I'll have to remember that." Alec smiled.

He showed them how best to strike against a transgenic, the different tactics used against transhumans, and vulnerabilities to exploit. He noticed the way Sam and Dean's mannerisms changed when he was teaching them and having them spar one another and against him. It was like everything put aside during the mission. It reminded him vaguely of Manticore and the laser focus they insisted upon. He was about to demonstrate the most effective way to defend against a group of X7's when Max peeked around the corner to check on the training. Alec made eye contact with the brunette and winked and felt a sharp pain on the back of his head for his troubles. He turned to see Sam rubbing his hand smugly.

"Winchester rule number 2, never get distracted from the mission."

"Who's teaching who here?" Max laughed and disappeared around the corner once again.

Inside, Jo, Bobby, and Max were going over the folder of intel Logan passed their way with a fine toothed comb. They marked where each sensor would be and guard station was. They knew that they couldn't even begin to predict the amount of guards or their patterns. They couldn't even guess where the X7's would be stationed in the forest or whether the interior guards would be human or transgenic, but they did the best they could.

The two groups reconvened at lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon finishing up training the ordinaries for transgenic/transhuman fighting with plenty of worrying and pacing thrown in for good measure.

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><p>Dusk came sooner than any of them would have liked. They all piled in the bed of Bobby's truck with Jo and Bobby in the cab and headed out of town.<p>

Max crept silently through the dense forest that made up the outskirts of the Manticore facility. She couldn't help thinking back to her escape with her unit so many years ago and cringed. Looking to her right and left and seeing Ben's face again just threw her further into the sense of déjà vu. She mentally shook herself. Now was not the time to get lost in mourning her dead brother. This was vengeance.

Alec weaved through the underbrush of the wooded area that Manticore was so thoroughly surrounded by. He couldn't believe that he was once so blindly loyal to them, even after everything they did. His stomach churned at the memories of his numerous psy-ops visits and even more so, with Rachael. He refocused on the task at hand and tried not to be swept away by the onslaught of rage and despair that washed over him every time Rachael or his reindoctrinization was brought to mind. This was his chance to break free, to avenge her.

Max and Alec were on point. They moved in sync, picking up on one another's subtle clues and heeding their silent warnings. Looking at them, you could see the animal inside them showing itself as they stalked their prey. Beneath the human exterior, the animal and soldier were working hand in hand to make the perfect killing machine. Sam and Dean had to stifle gasps when their eyes beheld Max and Alec leap over a twenty foot fence with ease and land with cat-like grace. Their shocked stillness was brought to an end when the two transgenics turned and broke open the gate for them. Bobby and Jo had stayed back at the road manning the getaway vehicle. They had begrudgingly realized that while four people slipping in may go unnoticed, six was an entirely different matter.

So the transgenics and Winchester's headed out into the compound. Alec and Max quietly broke into the building and led Sam and Dean into the hell hole that was Manticore, in all its concrete and iron bar glory. They split up from there. Alec went with Sam and Max and Dean paired up. Each team knew its responsibilities.

Renfro had once said that she had a contingency plan of burning the place down at a moment's notice. They figured that meant that she must have explosives planted all around the building. It was the only logical way to destroy any evidence of it and still be able to make a quick getaway. Of course, in Renfro's plan, she'd still have her little disk and DNA lab to fall back on so she could start anew elsewhere, making all the current transgenics expendable. She could murder each and every one of them and still have everything she needed to do the whole thing over again.

The DNA lab and disk would have to be taken care of while Sam and Alec made sure to get the genetically enhanced soldiers out safely. All Max and Dean needed was the location of the explosives and a way to detonate them and they'd be well on their way to victory.

Unfortunately, Renfro wasn't stupid. As much as Max despised the cold, spiky-haired tormentor, she had to give her that.

_'She would have wanted to be off-site when the explosion occurred. She wouldn't trust anyone else to set it off so that means that there has to be a way to do it remotely. The detonator must be portable. She wouldn't want anyone to know she had this back up or she'd start a mutiny so she'd keep it somewhere she thought was safe. Safe, Renfro's safe!'_ Max quickly processed. She signaled and took off around the corner to Renfro's office with Dean close on her heels. She made quick work of the lock on the door. Renfro may be smart but even she didn't take into account the possibility of an X5 on the loose making her 'security system' supremely easy to disable for an experienced thief such as Max.

They crept into the office and found the safe in the back corner. Max, using her genetically enhanced hearing, was able to crack it without much hassle. She almost smiled when she saw a fairly obvious detonation device sitting atop some files. She grabbed it and was about to turn and leave when Dean's head snapped up. His entire body was instantly on full alert. Max stilled for a moment and sure enough, the click of high heels was echoing down the hall. Only one person wore heels like the ones making that sound. Max shuddered. How did even her footsteps sound evil?

Renfro typically spent her nights staying late in her office, going over paper work, hunting down 452 and 494 and the other runaways, and making sure no one was aware of Manticore's existence. Today, however, she decided to take a little time for herself. She left just before dusk and was about to head home when she recalled that she left some important files on her desk. She reluctantly pivoted and stomped back towards her office with a scowl. She rounded the corner and her normally squinty eyes went wide as she saw that the door was busted open. She never forgot to lock up before she left-ever. It had been Lydecker's office before he went AWOL and he had refused to have all the alarms and security measures installed like he should have. Now that he was out of the picture and it was her office, she had to deal with having nothing but a dead bolt and an emergency button. Unfortunately, said emergency button was only useful if you were in the office. There was no way she was entering a room unarmed that could possible contain a rouge transgenic just to press a frickin' button! She stopped dead in her tracks briefly before slipping into a side office nearby that was currently uninhabited. As quietly as she could, she dialed the code to summon security to her invaded office.

Max was on high alert the instant she registered the sound of footfalls in the hallway. Now that the clicking had ceased, she was getting a little nervous.

Alec and Sam cautiously made their way through the darkened building looking for the control room. Alec had bribed enough guards in his day to know that they could open the doors from the room he was currently standing just outside of. However, he also knew that it was one of the most heavily guarded rooms in the compound as well. He pressed his ear against the cold, reinforced metal and tried to gauge how many guards we was dealing with. It was regulation that all guards remain armed with those electric cow prodders in their utility belts in case of emergency. Alec being electrocuted wasn't exactly part of the plan for the evening. He closed his eyes and blocked his senses for everything except the sounds coming from inside that room. He heard at least five guards shuffling around the small room before the sound of an alarm bell ringing from within caught his attention. He blurred into Sam and tore them both away from the door and into a darkened corner just an instant before all five of the guards took off running down the hall. He silently prayed that some nomalie was causing trouble and that was the reason the alarm sounded. His hopes were crushed when he crept into the room with Sam in tow and saw Renfro's office lighting up like a strobe light on the screen. His pulse sky rocketed. Max was in Renfro's office. His entire body stilled and something in his face must have changed because Sam was slowly stepping away from him with his hands raised. Alec would have laughed if it wasn't taking every ounce of control he had not to go racing after the guards to her rescue.

_No, focus on the mission. Focus on the mission. We're all screwed if we don't get the doors open soon. Max is a big girl; she can handle herself. Dean's with her. She will be fine. Everything will be fine. Focus, Alec!_ The soldier part of his mind lectured. He took a deep breath and pulled himself together.

Sam watched as Alec took several deep breaths and got back in mission mode and hesitantly approached him. The room was small and appropriately dark. It had a curved control panel that looped around the edge of almost the entire room save for the entrance area. In the center of the mass of buttons and switches was a lone office chair. Sam sat himself down and efficiently wheeled around the board until he found what he was looking for. In front of him were a series of switches and a large button under a glass case. Beneath the case was written_ 'Open cell doors. Warning! Do NOT Press without consent of the director.'_ He figured it was a good bet that this was what they needed. He lifted the clear lid and pressed a semi-large black button underneath the array of switches and another sign that read _'All doors open: Emergency use only.'_ His efforts were rewarded with the sound of concrete doors pulling open and corresponding warning lights began flashing over every inch of the panel. Alec was satisfied that their job there was done and with only a nod to Sam, they rushed off in the direction of Renfro's office.

Max was in mission mode. Her every muscle was tensed for action and she was acutely aware of every little sound coming from the halls. It hadn't been that long since she broke out and she had become very well acquainted with the equipment Manticore used to keep the X series in line. Even without transgenic memory, she could never forget. Just as that thought was crossing her mind, she heard a flurry of activity right outside in the hall. She quickly weighed her options. She did have the detonator already in hand, but if she had to guess from the sound of things, there were probably six guards out there with electric cow prodders. She had known going in that they would probably have to deal with guards at one point or another but she'd really rather not do it while cornered in a dinky little office (seriously, Renfro? It's like a closet in there.). She shared a look with Dean and saw evidence of the same thought process written across his face. Their eyes met momentarily and with nothing but a small nod from each of them, a plan was born. In the same instant, they turned and stormed out of the office. It was in that moment that Alec blurred around the corner with Sam tagging along a few seconds behind. The guards, who had been being briefed by Director Renfro about the threat housed in her office, looked stunned at the new arrivals. In a matter of moments, transgenics had appeared from either direction. The guardsmen had been planned on trapping the intruders but now the intruders were trapping them. Funny how tables turn.

The few that still maintained the power of mental processing after overcoming their surprise realized that their only option was to dart back into the office they had just exited. Renfro was standing imposingly in the center of the room and she did not look happy at their decision. Even when she had X5's trying to kill her, she still managed to look menacing. They had transgenics outside and an angry Renfro on the inside. Harold, one of the sleazier guards, had never before had such a bitter appreciation for the phrase 'between a rock and a hard place.' For a brief moment, he entertained the thought that perhaps they'd made the wrong choice. While they were so preoccupied with making sure to avoid eye contact with their merciless commander, Max blurred into the office with Alec right on her heels. Harold had a gun stashed in his utility belt instead of the ever popular cow prodder and her drew it out from his holster. He clicked back the safety and with a deep breath and a shaky hand, he pointed it at Max. Renfro's eyes went wide and without thinking, she leapt in front of the infamously rebellious transgenic just as Harold pulled the trigger. The spiraling bullet shot through her side and penetrated her kidney and severed several crucial veins and arteries. She didn't see her life flash before her eyes. She didn't see images of her early years or of what she imagined her children might have looked like had she ever had any. There was no white light or startling revelation either. All she could think of was Sandeman, that bastard, sitting in his worn old chair telling her with such quiet confidence that she would sacrifice herself for the cause. She'd never dreamed that he might have been right. Even now, with blood poured from her side and darkness began to creep along the edges of her vision, she was having a tough time believing it. She'd saved 452. She let out a small smile; she'd fulfilled her purpose. They all froze, transgenics and guards alike. They were shocked into stillness at the sight of Manticore's leader dying for the things that were hunting her. Their hesitation gave Sam and Dean the opportunity they needed to join the fight. In one definitive motion, Dean slammed the butt of his pearl gripped pistol into Harold's temple. He released the dead weight as the guard's knees buckled beneath him at the spontaneous lack of consciousness. Sam took out another before the trance was broken and everyone began scrambling around the cramped office. As they surveyed the scene, two guards unconscious on the floor, Renfro's body, and four enemy combatants, the three remaining guards lost what little courage they had to begin with and bolted out the door leaving Alec, Max, and the Winchesters all jumping between staring at each other and glancing at the door the guards disappeared through. After a moment of silent deliberation, they all followed suit.

Meanwhile, the doors to the containment cells of every trangenic and transhuman in the building had been unlocked and their occupants, cautiously at first but rapidly gaining confidence, surged out of their confinement. The guards were too engaged with trying to hold onto some semblance of control over the obviously superior creatures to pay much mind to the original intruders. Said intruders didn't stick around to watch the commotion and booked it out of the building, just barely avoiding the ensuing stampede.

Ames White watched the steady flow of abominations rushing out in utter confusion. His brows knit together in displeasure at the sight of the commotion while the other high-ranking cult members glared daggers at him. Tonight was supposed to be their first and final attack on Manticore, destroying what Sandeman had risked everything to build. Their well laid plans toppled over just like the gate that surrounded the facility did as the first wave of escapees charged it. At this point, any normal man would retreat, regroup, and plan another attempt for another night. Needless to say, Agent Ames While was no ordinary man. His rage began to build. This was his big shot to do his duty to the conclave and destroy the menace of Manticore for good. He'd failed too many times to let this last opportunity to slip through his fingers. He silently led his merry band of lunatics around the back entrance to Renfro's office. They had planned on keeping her around and letting her hunt down 494 for them while they focused their efforts on the troublesome 452, but then they discovered her close ties with Sandeman and decided she had to be eliminated from the equation. Someone possessing the kind of knowledge that she did about 452 could compromise centuries' worth of planning on the part of the conclave.

The fleeing transgenics barely acknowledged White and his people entering the building. For that, the snake worshippers were grateful. The last thing they needed tonight was a fight between them and a six hundred transgenics. They had no issues getting in right after the last 'monster' hurried out.

Max looked back and saw her old friend Joshua tuck out of the building last. He was carrying on of the pregnant X5's in his capable arms. Good ol' Joshua, always the gentle giant. Once they were a safe distance away, Max took a deep breath and with a reassuring nod from Alec, she pressed the detonator button. Every transgenic hit the deck as the sound of the explosion echoed in their ears. Hundreds of eyes turned to see the east corridor beginning to collapse. Renfro wasn't kidding when she said she'd burn it to the ground. A domino effect was taking place, Alec saw, and judging from the damage and pattern of combustion, a chunk of C4 had to be built into the foundation every few feet. Within two minutes of the initial explosion, the entire concrete prison had been decimated and reduced to a smoking pile of debris. It was one of the most beautiful sights Max had ever witnessed.

Max's eyes welled up with unshed tears as she watched in rapture as Manticore was wiped off the map with Alec standing proudly beside her. Soon, Joshua rushed up to them after aiding the pregnant X5 get reunited with her breeding partner. His sharp canine nose had picked up on their scents almost immediately despite the dust and hot ash now floating in the air. He scooped Max and Alec up in a hug that left their feet dangling above the ground. The two couldn't help but laugh at their favorite transhuman's antics. He finally set them down and became distraught as he recalled the message he needed to deliver to them.

"Max, Max. Snake in their cocktail. In building. Building gone. Pretty whack!"

Max had so missed that broken speech. It took her a moment to process just what he had said. Snake DNA? Manticore didn't use snake DNA. In the trial runs, they found that it was had a tendency to make the subjects durable but deceitful, conniving, and over all, too difficult to control. Realization dawned on her and with a quick glance at Alec, she knew he had put it together as well. The familiars! They must have been the ones Joshua was talking about. For a moment, Max wondered what the familiars were doing here but she pushed it out of her mind. Manticore was gone, apparently the familiars were too (even with selective breeding and their high pain tolerance and all that, not even they could survive being blown up). Max figured she could deal with the how's and the why's and the dreaded what now's later. Right now, she wanted to celebrate.

Col. Lydecker watched silently from the depths of the shadows as the flames from the burning Manticore facility licked hungrily at the night sky while the many occupants fled the scene. He saw Max running among them and smiled before he disappeared once again into the darkness.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review. God bless. There's only one chapter left!<strong>


	9. And that's the end

Well this is it. This is the end. I hope you enjoy it.

I'm sorry it's late. Life has a way of getting crazy this time of year.

Merry Christmas.

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><p><em>"Right now, she wanted to celebrate."<em>

After the day they just had, there was only one place to go: Crash. The crowded dance floor, loud music, pool tables, and immense alcohol quantity sounded like the perfect end to one hell of a day. They said their goodbyes to Joshua and dropped him off at Max's apartment for the evening, and then headed out to celebrate their victory over not only Manticore, but also the ever present, pain-in-their-ass familiars.

Whatever came next could wait till tomorrow.

"Hey Dean, how 'bout a game?" Alec called to his human counterpart as he motioned to the pool table in the corner.

"Sure. I'm up for one." The handsome ordinary agreed as he sauntered over.

The two each grabbed a cue and chalked up. "You break." Alec offered.

Max and Jo watched from the table as Dean lined up his shot with practiced precision. His smooth motion caused the cue ball to plow through the colorful racked balls, sinking two. They saw the concentration written on his face and the tension in his well defined muscles as he proceeded to systematically run the game. Through his cotton t shirt, contrary to his normal layering, Jo could see his lean and well defined back muscles bunch as he effortlessly raised his torso up and ambled over to Alec. He glanced over at her with that flirtatious grin that he had been wearing around her lately in place. She had no control over the easy smile that took up residence on her own features at the sight.

"I'll still never get used to seeing the two of them side by side." Max mumbled and it was hard to tell if she was talking to herself or to Jo. The short brunette ran a hand through her long hair and continued to watch the scene unfold before them. Then, she almost physically shook herself out of it and noticed the flirting between Dean and Jo. She turned to her new friend.

"How did you and Dean meet?" She asked with innocent curiosity.

Jo let out a short laugh as memories flooded her vision. "Like most everything in my life, I did it with guns blazing. He and Sam came into the Roadhouse. I thought he was breaking in so I snuck up on him with a rifle pressed against him. He was such an ass and spun around and grabbed the gun from me. I punched him in the nose. That was the first time I saw his face."

Now it was the blonde's turn to get lost in the past. He was broken and bloodied and possibly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. His green eyes held so much pain within their depths. Something about the way he carried himself reminded her of her father and something about that smirk just weaseled its way under her skin. A while later while they were wandering that haunted apartment building, she realized what was so magnetic about him: his protective nature. While she was slightly offended by the way he was babying her, she couldn't help but melt at the way he wanted to keep her safe, keep everyone safe for that matter.

Only then did she realize that she had inadvertently pulled her beer perilously close to the edge of the table.

"How did you and Alec meet?" She asked quickly as she adjusted her cup.

Max laughed under her breath and shook her head. "Back after I had been recaptured, I was sitting in my cell and in struts Alec, all charm and confidence, proclaiming that he's my breeding partner and that we've been assigned to 'copulate.'" She told with a roll of her eyes. "He starts taking off his shirt and I realize he's serious so I kick him to the door. He gets all offended and we have the first of many fights. We came to a stale mate and ended up sitting on opposite ends of the cell just staring at each other for two hours. He kept coming back and before I knew it, I was dragging him out with me when I escaped."

It was nice to have someone to talk to who could sympathize with a less than traditional upbringing and way of life, the secrets and the lies, and the pure exhaustion that was always threatening to overtake you. They laughed and barely noticed that the guys had finished up their game until they came up to the table.

"Who won?" They asked in unison.

Alec's charming smirk shifted into a small scowl and Dean's eyes lit up.

"That would be yours truly." The latter said with an impish bow and a sly smile.

"Wow, congratulations. I can't even remember the last time Alec actually lost to someone he wasn't trying to hustle.

Then, from behind them they heard a familiar voice. "Did I jus' hear what I think I heard? Someone finally beat hot boy?" Max turned to see Original Cindy walking towards with another pitcher of beer and nearly jumped out of her chair to see her friend. She had just seen her two days ago but with all that happened, it seemed like ages. She laughed as she could see in OC's eyes the moment she noticed Dean. She went to explain but the African American held up a hand to stop her.

"I don't need to know about no cloning or twining or whateva', all I need to know is that he's here and he a'ight"

"Yeah, he's fine."

"Well in that case," She rushed up and wrapped him in a hug. His face expressed his confusion but Max just motioned to go along with it so he hugged her back until she pulled away a moment later, "You're the first person to beat Alec in pool in…how many years? 21? 22?"

While it wasn't exactly her intention, she'd posed an interesting question and Sam was quick to pick up on it.

"Yeah Alec, how old _are_ you, exactly?"

"Eh, I'd say I'm probably around 22 by now." He said calmly.

"Wait, probably?" Jo piped up.

Alec rolled his eyes and laughed to himself. "Well, they didn't exactly celebrate birthdays back in Manticore. After I put together a rudimentary time line, I figure I'm roughly 22 years old."

A chorus of "huh"s and nods erupted around the circle. They filled OC in on just what had been going on the past two days and before long, they were all talking and laughing like the best of friends.

Some time and several drinks later, Jo and Dean made their way back over to the pool table.

"So, Dean, you up for a rematch?" She asked with one hip cocked out playfully. She couldn't decide if it was the alcohol, the adrenaline, or just Dean that brought out this side in her, but either way, she was having fun.

"For you? Of course." He leaned down and slowly closed the distance between them before turning away at the last second to rack the balls with a sly smile on his face.

'_Tease_' she thought to herself.

"Your break." He handed her a cue and from the look on his face, for a moment, Jo could have sworn he could read her mind. She grabbed the tool and the fight began. They remained locked in a heated battle until finally, Dean pocketed the last ball into the corner pocket.

"Well, sweetheart, looks like you're 0 for 2." He slid over to her and dropped his tone ever so slightly. "…and I believe you still owe me a favor from our last little match." He said in that deep, husky tone that was so distinctly Dean that even Alec couldn't imitate it.

"Oh, I do, don't I?" She said almost coyly while once again lessening the amount of space between their bodies. A playful glint was in her eye as she reached up and gently grasped the back of his neck and lowered him the rest of the way down to her waiting lips. She pressed her lips to his and felt his arms loop down around her waist. A second later, she pulled back, the playfulness dominating her eyes entirely now.

"Well, consider yourself paid in full." She smirked up at him and slipped out of his arms. She tossed him back a more than friendly look over her shoulder as she ordered another round of beers. While her back was turned to him, she allowed herself the shudder that she had suppressed before. She had kissed Dean Winchester! And she'd been the one to leave him wanting more.

Dean bit his lower lip and let out a short breath of laughter. She wanted to play, he could play. His eyes were transfixed on her hips as she sashayed back over to the table bearing a newly refilled pitcher of beer. She still had that smug little grin on her face as she glanced up at him. As she set down the drinks, he moved smoothly and silently behind her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her toward the dance floor. She didn't resist his gentle tug.

"It was only a matter of time." Alec laughed to himself and glanced back over to the two love birds. He then turned back and headed in Max's direction.

"Maxie! Come on." He called cheerfully to his fake girlfriend.

"Come where?" She asked. Instead of answering her question, he winked at OC and led Max out to the dance floor. He spun her and settled into a close embrace as Crash played one of their rare Pre-Pulse slow songs. She couldn't fight the smile that tugged at her lips at his antics. He had always been charming. She'd give him that.

OC looked down to the dance floor from the table and laughed at the two couples. Her gaze settled on her best friends and smiled. "About time, boo. About damn time."

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><p>AN: Thank you all for following this story with me and an extra special thank you to all of you amazing people who reviewed. I would love to hear what you thought in a review. Any favorite moments, favorite lines, things that made you smile, anything really, I'm not picky about reviews. Merry Christmas to you all and God bless.


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